The Train Trip
by Dark-and-Dawn
Summary: Following a mysterious letter, Iris will embark in a train journey that will change her life forever. Iris-centered


**I was writing the first chapter of The Inner Solitude, when this story suddenly zapped in my mind. It has lots of references about characters and places from other cartoons, even about some novels. The beginning isn't so good as the rest of the story, I'm sorry.**

**Chapter 1**

_Daylight_

"Iris... wait... please..." Ruby was exhausted, but the one-eyed girl continued. That wasn't normal. Well, nothing that morning could be called 'normal'.

Ruby retraced the previous events: first the strange letter for Iris. It promised a great trip with lots of adventures and new experiences, and it was signed only by "a friend". After that Iris got litteraly crazy, she jumped from here to there, preparing lots of stuff. She's a reckless adventurer, but that was exceeding, even for Iris. And then, she putted into her bag also a big bundle with a strange form. And now, she doesn't wait for Ruby, her best friend. It seemed like something were naming her.

After some meters walking, the shape of an old train station appeared on the horizon. "THAT'S IT, THAT'S IT, RUBY, DID YOU SEE... Wait... have you ever seen this train station before?"

Ruby narrowed her eyes. "No, I always use the one in Gloomsville Town, this looks like deserted. Ok, that letter was a joke, we should go back..." That place was worrying.

"No, I want to go ahead, I'm sure that the letter wasn't a joke."

"O-o-ok"

The station was abandoned. Most of the walls were collapsed, the only thing still standing was a tall tower with a huge clock. Ruby shivered when saw that the clock had seventy hours marked with unknown symbols and three hands. Under the clock, a written recited: "Welcome, travellers from everywhere and everywhen"

Iris entered in, followed by Ruby, increasingly allarmed. Inside, there was a complicated series of gears, chains, springs and weights, that were emitting a ticking.

"Amazing! This place looks like to be an hundred years old, and the clock is still working..." said Iris, amazed.

"Do you imagine Skullboy in this place? Probably he would disassemble the entire mechanism. I could hear him 'I'm related to a long line of watchmakers, is who I am'" The two girls laughed.

"Yeah, probably... Eheheh... However, maybe you were right, the letter was only a joke." Iris sighed. "What a pity, I was so excited I was living a new adventure."

"Well, look on the bright side: we've explored a new place we've never seen before. Come on, we have to return..." Ruby walked back.

"You're right, Ruby, exploring is always fun..."

While they were leaving the train station, a dong sounded. Ruby opened her eyes wide. "What was that?" asked with a whisper. The ticking became louder, and all the gears started to spin fast. Ruby and Iris ran out, and saw the huge clock's hands were whirling.

"Iris, please, go back." shouted Ruby.

After some minute, another dong sounded, and the hands stopped. Then, there was only a total silence, neither the ticking sounded.

"Iris..." whispered Ruby. But she was interrupted by a metallic sound, like a train were approaching.

"THAT'S THE TRAIN! RUBY, THE LETTER WASN'T A JOKE!"

The train stopped with a deafening noise. It was similar to the train Ruby took during her journeys **[1]**, only much bigger and taller. The door of one of the wagons opened and a cloacked figure got out. It approached Ruby and Iris and looked at them.

"Do you have called the Train?" asked. His voice had a metallic sound, like a clockwork mechanism.

"Yeah, I've called it."

"Iris, I don't know if it's a good idea, maybe..." whispered Ruby in Iris' ear

"Oh, calm down, Ruby, you look like Scaredy with all his fears. Believe me, there's nothing to worry about. It's only a travel by train, like many others we did. And then, HTERE'LL BE A GREAT ADVENTURE, I KNOW!"

"Ok, ok, I guess there's no way to change your mind. Have a good time." The two girls hugged themselves. Then Iris, accompanied by the cloacked stationmaster, went up the Train.

Ruby walked away. After some meters she turned back, hearing the train leaving. "I have a terrible bad feeling about this. Please, Iris, be careful."

**Author's note:**

**[1] "Last Train to Gloomsville" and the fanfic "End of Innocence"**


End file.
